Krisp Noise Cancellation App: Say Goodbye to Background Noise!

While smartphones have made significant strides in noise reduction, desktop and laptop computers still struggle with it. But worry not, because Krisp is here to save the day. Krisp is an AI-powered noise suppression tool for macOS and Windows that eliminates background noise in real-time. It uses Deep Neural Network technology to ensure crystal-clear conversations without the need for any special hardware. At TechWiser, we put Krisp to the test and used it in every meeting to see how well it performs.

What is Krisp?

Krisp is a powerful noise suppression tool that works with over 600 apps on macOS and Windows. It sits between your computer's hardware (microphone and speaker) and your video conferencing app, effectively eliminating any background noise picked up by the microphone before it reaches the video conferencing app. The best part is that all the processing is done on your own computer, so no data leaves your machine, resulting in reduced latency. The app is incredibly simple to use, with just one button to toggle the service on and off.

Krisp Noise Cancellation App

Setup

Getting Krisp up and running is a breeze. Simply download the package from the Krisp website and follow the instructions to install it on your macOS or Windows device. Once installed, you'll find the Krisp icon in your Menu bar on macOS or Taskbar on Windows. Clicking on the icon will bring up a pop-up menu with two options: one to select the speaker and the other to select the microphone source. When you initiate a call, simply toggle the switch to activate the Noise Suppression System.

Krisp App Interface

How to Use Krisp?

Using Krisp is as simple as it gets. Let's say you're on a Skype call with your boss and there's a lot of background noise. Just change the audio source in the Skype settings from the internal microphone to the Krisp microphone, and you'll immediately notice the magic happening in real-time. Not only can you reduce the noise on your end, but you can also eliminate noise coming from the other side. For example, if your boss is in a busy cafĂ©, simply turn on the “mute noise” toggle for speakers and experience the noise reduction in real-time.

Krisp works with most video conferencing apps and can be used with any app that allows you to select an audio source. We tested it with Skype, Slack, and even Audacity, and it worked flawlessly. To put it to the ultimate test, we played some old voice-overs with terrible background noise through Krisp using VLC media player, and it successfully filtered out all the noise.

Testing

To assess the performance of Krisp, we conducted two tests. The first test involved recording a pre-recorded audio sample with built-in background noise and running it through Krisp for noise reduction. The second test was a live Skype call with background noise and echo to evaluate the real-time noise reduction system.

Test 1: Parsing the audio with Krisp
In this test, we recorded an audio sample in a room with an AC running in the background to simulate a traffic environment. We then played additional noise through our phone, such as crumpling a plastic bag and dropping plastic cups on the table. After running the audio sample through Krisp for noise reduction, we noticed a considerable difference. However, there was a slight distortion in the audio quality due to the re-recording process.

Test 2: Krisp during a Live Skype Call
For this test, we made a Skype call and selected the Krisp microphone as the audio source. We turned the noise cancellation off and on during the call to observe the difference. While Krisp significantly reduced the background noise, we noticed that Skype's audio compression distorted the voice, making it sometimes incomprehensible. Krisp works best when dealing with fewer noise sources, such as a dog barking or construction work outside the house.

Results

Unfortunately, the noise reduction on the attached videos may not sound revolutionary due to compression. However, when you use Krisp on your own computer, the quality is much better. Overall, we would assign a score of around 80-90% to the filtered audio. The real-time noise reduction, coupled with the fact that all the data is processed locally on your computer, makes Krisp's results incredibly impressive. However, there are some instances where the algorithm may remove relevant information along with the noise, resulting in slight distortion.

In the free version of Krisp, you can listen without noise, but to speak and listen without noise, you'll need to upgrade to the premium version, which costs $20 per month. The good news is that there is a 2-week trial of the premium version available.

Should You Use Krisp?

Absolutely! Krisp is currently the only software that offers real-time noise reduction for free. It consistently delivers impressive results, making it a tough competitor for any upcoming products in the market. Krisp is easy to use, doesn't require any special hardware, and is the perfect solution for noise-free conversations on your computer.

This post is sponsored by Krisp.ai